This Is The Life
by PeppermintChocolateQuills
Summary: Written for Jily Valentines Week. College AU, in which Lily goes to college and tries not to freak out.


**A/N Written for Jily Valentines Week. College AU.**

It was Lily's first day of college and to say she was nervous was an understatement. She was a mix of terrified and paralyzed.

College promised, parties, hot boys, education, and adult life. She was so screwed.

She walked in to her first class. There was no teacher, but a few others were already sitting at their desks. There was a seating chart up front.

She took note of her neighbors and sat down in her assigned seat.

Her neighbors were a "James Potter" and a "Marlene McKinnon".

She took out her iPod and put in her headphones.

There was 5 minutes until class begun. The classroom had filled up.

Marlene McKinnon had come in, an Indian girl with black curls, but no sign of James Potter. She put away her iPod and got out her notebook and pen.

Her stomach had butterflies. Gigantic, shaking butterflies.

One minute.

She was watching the clock.

30 seconds.

Fuck, in 30 seconds, she was officially a college student.

15 seconds. Fuckity fuck fuck fuck.

5 seconds, two boys ran in laughing. They examined the seating chart and one of them took a seat next to her.

At exactly 8:00, the door slammed shut. A stern looking woman, with her hair pulled into a bun confidently strode in.

"Excellent. Let us begin." She took her place at the front of the room. "I am Professor McGonagall, your professor for English Literature and the History of Language. You have hopefully noticed the seating chart and have placed yourselves accordingly. Those who have not, should move to the appropriate seat immediately." There was a short pause. "That means yourselves, Mr. Potter and Mr. Black."

The two boys who had come in with 5 seconds to spare smirked and switched seats. She narrowed her eyes at her new neighbor, a lanky boy with crazy black hair and twinkling eyes. What kind of prick had enough confidence to do something like that on their first day of college? So much for hot boys.

Was she jealous? Slightly.

She was shook out of her reverie by Professor McGonagall. "For those of you who wish to know, I have seated you all by numerical data and patterns that I found."

The other boy whispered to James Potter. "Meaning that she picked randomly."

Professor McGonagall eyed him. "Meaning, Mr. Black, that those sitting around you have similar, if not the same, grades and recommendations as you do."

She turned to the computer board up front and turned it on.

"We will now go over the syllabi for the year."

Five hours later, Lily's head was spinning. She had survived half of her classes and now it was lunch.

They were allowed to go off campus, so Lily headed to a nearby café. She got a sandwich and was looking for a table outside, when she spotted Marlene McKinnon reading alone at one. She walked over and asked "Do you mind?" gesturing at the empty seat across from Marlene.

Marlene looked up briefly, smiled, and said "Not at all. Feel free." And went back to her book.

Lily ate her sandwich in surprisingly comfortable silence, watching passersby.

There was an old couple who looked charmingly in love. A man walking a dog. A mother pushing a stroller. A group of laughing teenagers.

All of a sudden, a young girl came racing down the sidewalk on her bike. She veered to not hit people and her bike tripped over the curb, leaving her lying on the sidewalk with some bloody scratches. Her skirt was dirty. Lily moved to get over there, as there was no guardian in sight, but someone beat her there.

To her surprise, James sodding Potter was kneeling by the girl, helping her up. She was crying.

"Hey, you're alright. You're fine." He soothed her quietly. He stroked her hair and said. "Let me see your knee." He seemed to conjure a first-aid kit out of nowhere and was disinfecting, cleaning, and bandaging her scratches in no time.

He helped her up. "How do you feel?" he asked, getting her up on her feet. She sniffed. "Better."

His hazel eyes, as she now noticed, sparkled and said "Well then, how would you feel about some ice cream?"

The girl brightened immediately. "Can I have chocolate?"

He laughed. "Of course you can!"

He walked her over to the street vendor and bought her a big chocolate ice cream cone, talking to her softly.

Lily hadn't been aware she was staring until Marlene's voice interrupted her.

"What?" she asked Marlene.

Marlene replied, in quite the amused tone, "I said, can I have the sandwich if you're not going to eat it?"

Lily replied distractedly. "Oh that, sorry I better eat it."

Marlene said "No worries." She followed Lily's gaze. "Looks like somebody's got a crush."

Lily blushed and she knew it. "No, I just thought he was an egotistical prick. That's why."

Marlene grinned. "Mmmmmhmmm." Her tone giving away her opinion of Lily's denial.

Once the girl finished her ice cream, she and James came back over to her fallen bike.

"Now remember, don't go so fast on sidewalks!" he scolded amusedly.

Lily had a faint smile on her face. He'd make a good dad. Woooaaaaahhh. What? No, she was just saying.

She was watching so intently, she didn't notice Marlene saying "Of course Lily darling." And shaking her head amusedly.

"So where's your mum?" he asked the girl. Just as he asked, a woman of about 30 came jogging down the street. "Joy! There you are! I've been so worried! What on earth did you do?"

James replied for the girl. "She just went a little fast, no worries. I hope you don't mind, I bought her an ice cream cone." He smiled angelically at the woman. The woman was immediately taken over by his charm.

She and Joy thanked him profusely and he smiled and said it was his utmost pleasure.

"Maybe I'll see you some other time." He beamed at Joy. She beamed back.

Joy and her mother went on their way and James waved to them as they left.

Marlene said "So you're gonna kiss him now?"

Lily blushed bright red. "What? I said nothing of the sort!"

Marlene's eyes gleamed. "But you didn't deny it. Plus, your expression gave it away."

She mimed Lily, crooning in a falsetto, "Oh James, help me! Oh James, kiss my hurt away. Oh James, let me-"

Lily crossed her arms. "Shut up. I thought you were reading."

Marlene grinned. "Oh this is far better than my novel." She continued, "Oh James, let me adore you with kisses!"

Lily scoffed. "As if I would ever!"

Marlene smirked. "I think the question is not if, but when."

"Oh shut up!"

"You said that already."

Marlene leered at Lily. "You know you want to. Go pucker up to lover boy."

Lily huffed. "Fine. I will. And I won't enjoy it."

She stormed over to where James was still standing.

"Hey Evans!" he greeted, slightly cautiously.

"Potter, I just wanted to say that I think it was very nice what you did for Joy and that you aren't as much of an arrogant toe-rag as I thought you were."

"Thanks, I think." He said, a slight smile playing out on his lips. Oh, how she wanted to kiss those lips. _What the fuck brain_? She admonished herself.

Then she surprised even herself. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

She flounced away, back to her table, knowing she was bright red and that Marlene was laughing her head off.

She didn't look back and notice the slightly reddish tinge to James's face.

Parties? Not yet. Education? Definitely. Adult life? Yes.

With a smile on her face, she sat back down facing a hysterical Marlene.

Hot guys? Maybe.


End file.
